Organic is a regulated USDA term and requires the chicken's feed to be grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and certified. The chickens must be cage-free and have access to the outside. There is not a space or type of living conditions requirement set by the USDA, so chickens can still be raised inside large warehouses or sheds, as long as there is access to the outdoors.
Free-range, another USDA term, means that the birds have access to the outdoors. However, it doesn’t mean that the hens go outside, or that the outdoor space is more than a small, fenced-in area; rather it implies that access exists.
Pasture-raised is not regulated by the USDA; pasture-raised chickens must also be labeled as certified humane, which means that the chickens were given a minimum of 108 square feet to roam outdoors. Also, the birds must have access to a barn for safety at night. This mandated space means there’s ample room to allow for the rotation of the flocks, ensuring that they have fresh food to pick at.
Pasture-Raised is considered the gold standard. Pasture-Raised chickens live the majority of their lives in lush, vegetative pastures, and at night they sleep indoors to protect themselves from predators. Because they’re living a comfortable, diverse, and healthy lifestyle that nature intended, these birds develop juicier meat that is deeply flavored and more tender than conventional chicken.